Understanding Addiction

Obviously the impact of lockdown and social distancing has been serious for many of my readers, and I’ve struggled to think of what I could share that might help. Finally I think I’ve got something to say. Even as the world closes down around you, you have to stay open! In my last scientific article […] (Read the rest.)

At the heart of the discussion about addiction and recovery lies a trilogy of questions: whether abstinence is necessary or even helpful, what “harm reduction” offers in its place, and what is the best way to deal with cravings. These questions are intertwined. In fact they merge into a single issue. Today I want to […] (Read the rest.)

The coronavirus pandemic reminds us not only of the proximity of death (and other fun stuff) but of the contradictions we face throughout our lives. Some of which seem truly unsolvable. Here’s one that’s had me chasing my tail for awhile: How should we address ourselves with compassion and love when in fact, according to […] (Read the rest.)

Last post I said I’d review schools of psychotherapy that promise to target addiction, and ACT and IFS were at the top of my list. I’ll get to these, but I thought I’d spread the net a bit wider. So I’m starting this series with a look at “psychodynamic” or psychoanalytic psychotherapy. I think the […] (Read the rest.)

In my psychotherapy (and chats, consultations, etc) with people in addiction, I combine skills I’ve picked up over 35 years studying clinical psychology, developmental psychology, psychoanalysis, and neuroscience. But it’s not enough. I need retooling. I’ve developed some good intuitions about how to do psychotherapy…mostly by doing it, putting theory into practice. And I can […] (Read the rest.)